Lost Luggage/Money Don't Get Done in the Sun

Every year, millions of us jet off abroad on holiday.

But if things go wrong, your two weeks in sun could quickly become a fortnight to forget.

And there are plenty of things that can ruin your precious break,

from cancelled flights to horror hotels.

I'd like my flight money back and I'd definitely like an apology.

Worst still, there are scams, tricks and cons

waiting to trap the unsuspecting tourist.

Probably buying a camera worth 150 and paying 1,500 for it.

But if you know what to look out for,

you can avoid these holiday nightmares.

-We're here to make sure you...

-Don't get done in the sun.

Coming up on today's show,

the couple who had back-to-back nightmares with their holiday

before it had even started.

It was almost one in the morning

and it had become very apparent

that we were going to have to sleep in the airport.

And I'll be finding out just how easy it is

to part a tourist from their credit card.

It's 25% off if you pay by credit card.

The only thing is we're asking to keep your credit cards behind the bar.

When you're booking a holiday, there's a lot to consider.

Your flights, your accommodation.

Maybe a transfer.

Perhaps even a cruise.

But if something goes wrong with any one of these elements,

it's easy to lose sight of who's actually to blame.

Meet Liam Corbett and Alana Walker from Bathgate in West Lothian.

In 2011, they got engaged

and decided to celebrate by splashing out £3,000

on a Caribbean cruise.

We went to the Bahamas, St Maarten, St Thomas, which were all pretty beautiful islands

that, you know, not very many people in the world will be able to say

that they've been and seen,

let alone say that they've seen them from the world's biggest cruise liner in the world at the time.

The ship set sail from Fort Lauderdale in Florida,

so to get to the embarkation point, they had to catch a Continental Airlines flight

from Edinburgh to Newark, near New York,

then a connecting flight on to Fort Lauderdale.

They'd then spend the night in a luxury hotel

before boarding the Allure of the Seas the following day.

Alana's parents, Jean and Stevie, were going too

but because they booked their trip earlier,

they travelled to board the ship in Florida direct from Gatwick Airport.

We were really excited about the holiday

and although we were travelling separately,

we were going to be meeting up in the hotel to stay overnight

and then, you know, to get to the ship the next day.

Although the couple's travel arrangements were complex,

they were all part of a package deal

offered by Royal Caribbean cruise lines.

Soon the big day arrived.

Having caught their flight, Liam and Alana switched into holiday mode.

Well, I get a bit stressed out in the immediate few days before we go on holiday,

trying to make sure everything's packed

and doing all the washing, etc.

So actually being on the flight itself is, you know,

just a bit of a sigh of relief.

But as Liam and Alana approached the first stop in their journey,

their holiday bubble was about to be well and truly burst.

They said that due to a radar failure

we couldn't land in Newark, so we were to land in Buffalo.

The passengers were told to remain on the plane in Buffalo in upstate New York

until it could take off again for Newark.

But because of a freak snowstorm, this didn't happen for hours.

By the time we got back up in the air heading towards Newark,

we'd already missed our connecting flight.

Flight delays are definitely frustrating

and if you miss your connecting flight,

there's a very real danger you could end up stranded miles from where you are meant to be.

The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible

for overseeing all airlines in the UK.

What as a consumer are your rights?

What are you entitled to if your flight's delayed?

The European Court ruled in October

that passengers whose flights have been delayed by more than three hours

can claim financial compensation from the airline

of between around £200 to £500,

except in the situation where the delay was outside of the airline's control.

Where do these regulations apply, then?

The regulation applies to:

But although Liam and Alana flew out of an EU airport,

their delay was caused by bad weather,

which is deemed to be outside an airline's control,

so they wouldn't get a penny.

But those EU regulations don't just cover financial compensation.

There are clear guidelines on what you're entitled to.

Free meals and refreshments if you're delayed for more than two hours.

Free hotel accommodation if your flight's pushed back to the next day.

Maybe even your money back - thank you -

if you're five or more hours late taking off.

By now the couple had been delayed for hours,

so they should have been at least offered some refreshments.

But they'd no idea they were entitled to this

or where to turn to get help.

Eventually, they did touch down in Newark

but the bad weather meant they were not alone.

Dozens of other flights had been delayed or re-routed

and the scene was chaotic.

When we first got off the plane at Newark,

there was people saying, "Oh, if you've missed a connecting flight,

"head towards this desk,"

and the queue was huge.

We joined the queue much like everybody else

and they announced over the tannoy

that no connecting flights would be leaving that night,

so we had to rebook a flight for the following day.

And when you're delayed like hundreds of other passengers,

it can be difficult to know where to turn.

If you're travelling as part of a package,

and this was a packaged operation with Royal Caribbean

of flights and of a cruise,

then I would have got on the phone ASAP to the tour operator.

You can make them aware of your situation

and where possible, they can then try and assist you,

either with getting you onto another flight,

so that effectively they sort the reservation

rather than you having to queue all the way to get to a front.

And also, in terms of welfare.

At this point, Liam and Alana did call Royal Caribbean,

who, while sympathetic, didn't offer to book them on another flight.

In the end the couple were forced to wait more than four hours

to speak to someone from Continental Airlines,

who eventually found them a flight the following day.

But their troubles were far from over.

We had to then find a hotel.

We had to find somewhere to stay

because it was now almost one in the morning.

We couldn't get anywhere

and it had become very apparent

that were going to have to sleep in the airport.

Instead of the five-star Florida hotel

that would have been the height of luxury,

the couple would have to bed down on a cold, marble floor.

Should anyone ever be sleeping at the airport?

Absolutely not. No-one should ever be sleeping at the airport.

For flights that are covered by the EU regulation,

the airlines have to provide hotel accommodation

for passengers who are delayed overnight.

If it's major disruption and passengers can't get hold of someone from the airline,

we advise that they sort themselves out:

But with all the local hotels full

and all the airline staff clocking off at midnight,

Liam and Alana had no choice but to stay put in the airport

and as we'll find out later, this was just the start of their problems.

It had become really apparent straightaway

that our luggage wasn't coming.

They've got some great bargains in there. Ciao!

I just love this holiday feeling - relaxed, no time pressures,

taking it easy.

But one area you can never be too careful is when it comes to your money,

in particular when you're paying by credit card.

I mean, you are literally walking around with thousands of pounds

on these little plastic cards

and for some scammers, it's all too tempting.

Credit card fraud abroad cost us Brits £80 million in 2011.

That's a quarter of all credit card fraud

and although you might think you're careful with your card,

we're going to show you just how easy it is to get scammed.

I'm going undercover in a bar and restaurant

that's popular with Brits

and all I need to do is separate a credit card from its owner for a minute or two.

Because that's all it takes to clone their card

with a portable skimming device.

These devices can swipe and store hundreds of credit card numbers,

which can then be used to spend, spend and spend

and leave you with the bill.

In the UK, we have to enter a PIN number at the point of sale

but in many countries and online, this isn't necessary

and of course scammers know exactly where to shop so they don't get caught out.

Of course, this bar deplores such tactics

but has agreed to help me highlight how easy it is

for real scammers to pull a fast one on unsuspecting customers.

Right, time to get tooled up.

Ready? Do I look professional?

My plan is to see how easily I can persuade tourists

to let their credit cards out of their sight.

What can I get for you?

We are doing a special today, I don't know if anybody's told you,

but it's 25% off if you pay by credit card.

CUSTOMER SPEAKS, INDISTINCT

The only thing is, I'm going to have to keep your credit card behind the bar. Is that OK?

-OK, no problem.

-'I'm in - my first cards.'

-Yeah, we'll put it behind the bar.

-All of them?

-We'll keep it behind there.

-Is that OK?

-Yeah.

'He looks a bit unsure... No, he's taken the bait.

'I've got not one but two cards on my first go.

'This is easier than I thought.'

OK, so I've got your credit cards and I'll keep them behind the bar.

And I've got your orders. Brilliant. Thank you.

OK, so I took the order, I told them it was 25% off

if they left the credit card behind the bar.

I have to admit, there was one gentleman that kept saying,

"You want us to leave it there first?"

You could see he was slightly dubious

but everyone went with the special offer

and they'd handed over two credit cards.

Potentially, we could skim these

and, you know, they could be losing thousands of pounds.

Right. I'd better put these behind the bar.

The only thing this, I need to keep the credit card behind the bar.

'Got another one!'

Now, this time, not so bothered that I was going to take it

and put it behind the bar.

It was more, "Why are you offering a discount on credit card?"

Of course, I'll make sure all these cards make it safely back to their owners.

Now, who's my next victim?

OK, now, we're doing a special offer today.

It's 25% off if you pay by credit card.

-If you're interested?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

The only thing is we're asking to keep your credit card behind the bar.

-Credit or debit card?

-Credit or debit, it's up to you.

Happy to do that?

We're just keeping there... It's not like we're saying you'd run off.

SHE LAUGHS

I think you all look trustworthy.

Thank you.

And another one has handed one over.

But one canny gentleman said to me,

"Why do you want to keep it behind the bar?"

And I gave him a pause and he went, "In case we don't run off?"

And I said, "Of course I trust you!"

So he actually took the onus on him, like I didn't trust him.

He shouldn't trust me!

Well, I look trustworthy.

In just one hour, I managed to get my mitts on five credit and debit cards.

For a scammer, that's one heck of a spending spree.

Right, time to come clean.

Sorry, I've come to have a little chat with you.

I don't normally work here.

We're doing a show for the BBC

and we were trying to see how easy it would be

to take somebody's credit card off them

and put it behind the counter

because if it's out of your sight, it's very easy for us to scam it.

So I'm rather silly, really.

I'm sorry. Not to make you feel silly.

-But it was a great offer, wasn't it?

-It was a great offer.

You looked like you didn't trust me. You did seem to question me.

-He's German, you see.

-LAUGHTER

-It does matter if you're on... Are you on holiday here?

-Yes.

Yeah, you're having a good time, you think it's all right.

Doesn't matter.

It takes a second and I could be booking myself a flight somewhere fantastic.

You just go to a restaurant,

you order a meal because you're with your friends

and you want to have a good time.

How long it takes to clone a credit card isn't the first thing that comes into your mind.

The truth is I don't work here.

-No?

-All right.

We're filming it for the BBC

and we were trying to see if people would hand over their credit card.

-I handed it over because you had a trusting face.

-SHE GASPS

Well, exactly. But the point is,

I could have taken that back there

and before you know it, you would have been paying for a nice new handbag for me

and a new pair of shoes

and maybe even a holiday.

And it seems for some people, once bitten isn't necessarily twice shy.

I've just got that new card. The last one got cloned.

-So you've already been through this?

-Yeah.

-And you still didn't think of not handing it over?

-That's right.

So there you go. In the space of about an hour,

I managed to get five credit cards

and lucky I didn't have a portable skimming device in the back.

Remember, just because you are on holiday, don't let your credit card out of your sight

and if you think something dodgy has happened,

call your credit card company immediately.

And if you are in doubt, pay in cash.

Most of us scrimp and save for our annual holiday

and in return for our hard-earned cash, we expect airlines and tour operators

to make sure our trip runs smoothly.

But what if you're one of the 500 million passengers a year

that experiences a flight delay or cancellation?

In the confusion of simply trying to get to your final destination,

it can be very unclear whose responsibility it is to help you.

For Liam and Alana, delays to the first leg of their journey

left them spending the first night of their once-in-a-lifetime holiday

sleeping on a freezing airport floor.

We found a little corner

and we tried to take some clothes out of the suitcases just to lie on

because it was a marble floor, it was freezing cold.

It was really uncomfortable.

We put our wallet and purse into the actual suitcase and locked it

because we were nervous about having to sleep across from the main door.

It was a dismal start to the holiday

but the couple were still determined to make the best of it.

That morning, they flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida,

to meet Alana's parents on board the cruise ship.

But when they touched down, they got yet another nasty surprise.

It became really apparent straightaway

that our luggage wasn't coming.

It was, you know, that sinking feeling again

of this is another thing to add to the list

of the nightmare holiday so far.

With just 45 minutes before the ship was due to sail,

the couple had no option but to head for the dock

and hope their bags made it onto the ship at its first port of call.

Until then, with shops on board,

there were plenty of places to get replacement clothes and toiletries.

What are your rights as far as buying clothes, toiletries,

things that have gone elsewhere with your baggage?

When your bags are delayed, the airline has a responsibility

to, obviously, try and find those bags.

So once it is established that the bag is actually lost,

at that point they will have their own policy

as to how much they're going to give you at that point,

to go and buy, say, toiletries

or maybe a change of underwear or a change of clothing.

On average, it works out at roughly 100, £100, a day.

But that varies across the industry.

Airlines do things differently.

Some will actually say, "We're terribly sorry.

"You see those shops over there? Go and choose a few things

"and we'll pay the bill."

That's getting rarer and rarer.

But generally, they will just say, "Sort yourself out, send us the bill,

"and as long as it's reasonable, we will pay."

Continental Airlines did in fact tell Liam and Alana to do just that

and offered them up to 150 each per day.

After five days of no bags, that went up to 300 each.

It might sound like a good deal but there was one big problem.

We remembered that we hadn't taken our purse and our wallet out of the luggage

and that was... that hadn't made it to the ship.

So we realised that we had no money until that turned up.

Royal Caribbean gave the couple 150 to spend as a goodwill gesture.

But they kept hoping their luggage, with their money and credit cards inside, would turn up.

What made things worse for Liam and Alana was

the fact that all their credit cards and money was in their luggage

that got lost.

Presumably, that is a big no-no.

Every time you put your bag on the scales,

assume you are never, ever going to see it again.

And if there's stuff in there that you don't want to lose,

don't check it in.

You actually feel embarrassed to say, "I put my wallet in my suitcase

"and my suitcase is now lost."

But under the circumstances, everybody would probably have done the exact same thing.

We offered to buy them clothes when we stopped a port,

but Liam and Alana said, "No, it's OK, the luggage will be there when we get back."

And this happened time and time again at the different ports.

And it soon became apparent that it was just a disaster.

In the end, the couple's luggage didn't turn up

until four days after they'd returned to Scotland.

Without the right clothes, they felt they couldn't join in some activities,

although other passengers had a good time.

When the realisation hit that we weren't going to have our clothes for the entire holiday,

I just cried.

Every night when we were in the room, I cried.

I was devastated for Alana and Liam.

I mean, they were so sad during the entire holiday.

Still to come, Liam and Alana try to establish

just who to turn to for help.

And where should you go if you experience the same problems?

When you're abroad, your passport and plenty of currency are your travel essentials.

But us Brits need to keep our wits about us

because thieves have found loads of ways...

of getting their hands on them.

An astonishing one in ten of us have been the victim of petty theft abroad

and what's the number one thing thieves are targeting? Our cash.

We met a couple in Majorca

and they grabbed her one night

as we were walking along the road for her bag.

They'd actually seen her pay for something out of her bag.

Yes, conspicuously carrying large amounts of cash can make you a target

but we need to keep some money on us, so where do you draw the line?

I'm meeting a travel expert based here in Gran Canaria

to get some advice.

-Now, I brought quite a bit of cash with me on holiday.

-Right.

I think the best thing for me to do

-is to keep it all in my purse in my handbag.

-OK.

-Is that a good idea?

-It's like when you're at school

and somebody sticks a "Kick me" sticker on your back.

You're kind of like asking for people to rob you.

So take the bare minimum with you.

Obviously, if you're hanging around the hotel pool all day,

it's easy to pop back to your room

but what if you're out for longer?

Try and work out how much do I think I'm going to spend today

and if you really like something, then just come back the next day

with more money.

But it's not always best to go shopping with cash.

It's a good idea to use your credit card for shopping abroad

because you're going to get a decent rate of exchange

and you won't have to pay for it for a long time afterwards.

Furthermore, if there's anything wrong with what you buy,

well, you could get some consumer protection.

Yes, when you use your credit card to buy something costing between £100 and £30,000,

you're covered under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

So if you're a victim of fraud, you won't be financially liable

and if your new purchase is faulty,

the credit card company will refund you

and take it up with the shop or manufacturer so you don't have to.

If you are buying something big,

what's the best way to pay for something abroad - cash or credit card?

-It is your credit card, isn't it?

-Yes.

Thanks to chip and pin, paying by credit card ought to be safer

but many shops abroad, including, surprisingly, the US,

still only require a signature.

With the advent of chip and pin,

which took longer to catch on in mainland Europe

than it did in the UK,

you shouldn't be separated from your credit card.

They should be able to charge you in front of you.

Before, they could have taken the card and duplicated it.

If your card is stolen or cloned and you report it quickly,

you shouldn't lose any money,

but even if you are protected, no-one wants to be a victim.

-Nobody knows my bag is stuffed full of cash.

-Yeah.

So how would a criminal know?

You're a tourist. You might be dressed for the occasion.

That you've got maybe a designer handbag.

What kind of people are going to be targeting me, then?

Is it going to be people in the restaurant?

Is it going to be me walking along the prom?

I'd say you're more likely to be in danger of losing money

on your walk, on your way to the restaurant, than in the restaurant itself.

And it's not just when out and about

that people risk having their cards and cash swiped.

If you leave your valuables indoors, it's best to use a safe.

I leave my money with my passport and then I bring out a bit

every day.

-And this is just the drawer next to the bed?

-Mm.

It's not even by the bed. It's in the kitchen as you walk in.

Right by the door, isn't it? Even I know where she put it.

Sometimes you figure, you've spent enough on the hotel room,

do I want to spend another ten euros on the safe?

It's a short-term payment that could save you in the long term.

Unless you want to be stung in the future,

you've got to make these small sacrifices.

So you heard it from Matthew.

When you're on holiday, never forget how valuable your passport and your money are.

If they are essential to you,

a trickster will want to get their hands on them as well.

Well, as we've seen, airline delays, lost luggage,

they can both cause misery for travellers

right at the very start of their holiday.

So what can you do to avoid them?

Here are your travel essentials.

An early departure is less likely to be delayed than a later flight,

due to the ripple effect of delays throughout the day.

And if you are delayed, you'll have more chance of getting on another flight the same day.

Fly direct. Not only are you less likely to lose your luggage,

you're also less likely to be delayed.

If you have to book a connection, try to leave at least a few hours between flights,

so you and your bags have plenty of time to make the second plane.

Call or check the airline's website before you leave the house

to find out your flight's status.

If there's a problem, try to rebook over the phone

and avoid chaos at the airport.

18 months on, Liam and Alana are still trying to find out

how their dream holiday almost turned into a nightmare

and who's responsible for the loss of their luggage and the flight delays.

When they got home, they contacted Continental Airlines.

They only thing they ever, ever offered us was

a 1,000 travel voucher

but we had to travel with Continental.

Which, when you spend £3,000 on a dream holiday

and it's ruined by an airline

and their way of saying sorry is by saying, "Here's 1,000 to travel on this airline again,"

was completely laughable.

Under EU rules, they were not eligible for financial compensation

because the delay was caused by a freak snowstorm.

But they should still have been given food, drink and accommodation.

Now, the airline said, "We're not taking responsibility for bad weather

"but here are 1,000 worth of vouchers."

What do you think of that as a result?

Take the vouchers and use them wisely.

Honestly, they're more than legally you can expect.

And with a bit of luck,

they'd just about buy a couple of off-peak return tickets to New York,

when, hopefully, the flight won't be delayed

and it will be a terrific way to get an extra weekend break at the airline's expense.

In addition to the voucher,

Continental Airlines also offered to reimburse the cost of new clothes for the couple,

an offer they rejected.

The airline has now been taken over by United Airlines.

We contacted them on the couple's behalf and they said:

The airline was only responsible for the loss of luggage

and the couple have nothing but praise for Royal Caribbean.

At the time, I didn't feel

that they even had a duty to take any responsibility but they did.

Any obstacle that came from us not having luggage,

they put something in place that could, you know, make us enjoy

our holiday as much as we possibly could.

But their holiday was booked as a package deal with the cruise operator,

so what difference does this actually make?

One of the big advantages, presumably, of booking a package

is that you do have someone else to go to if something goes wrong.

Yes, when you have a package,

the package operator is responsible for you from end to end.

And then do contact them.

The moment you have a problem, it's better to seek assistance

and get them to advise you what to do,

rather than just to ignore it

and potentially get yourself in a worse situation.

So the buck actually stops with tour operators Royal Caribbean.

They told us:

And since we spoke to them, Royal Caribbean have been in touch with the couple

and agreed a resolution.

Liam and Alana have also decided to accept vouchers worth 650 each

from United Airlines.

So there you go. If you've booked a package, it's the tour operator's responsibility

to make sure you get the holiday you paid for.

So if there's a problem, go straight to them and you won't get done.

Join us next time for more Don't Get Done In The Sun.

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